Going Back
by singinthedark13
Summary: Rangers, old ally's to the ninja, are at war. But they'll need help. Will the Leaf and Sand stand by their side on the battle field? also, Sasuke never left, but still hates Itachi. Will be updated once i get a review.


**My second fic and my first Naruto fic! **

**All of these characters are mine so don't be surprised when you don't recognize them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't Naruto or any of its characters. But I do own the plot to this story and a cute chibi-picture of Kakashi-sensei that my friend Aaron drew for me. THANKIES AARON!**

**Hope you enjoy the fic!**

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Going Back

**Chapter 1: Voices of The Past**

_**-Seventeen Years Ago-**_

"The Marsh," _people call it._

_Of course, it's only natural. It's basically miles and miles of swampy forest that's filled with dangerous creatures of every breed. Strangely, the outer areas are surrounded by a thick, thirty meter wood. Anyone who can get past that will find what it is truly concealing._

_The fens are a tangle of high-grasses, swamps and swirling channels of water. To most people, they are impassible. A single reckless step could lead to a person sinking quickly into the oozing mire of quicksand that lurks ubiquitously. Once in this peculiar bayou, it's easy to become hopelessly lost and to wander until exhaustion overcomes you. And there were a huge variety of plants that were lethal to eat, and you could get the most horrid rash from simply brushing against some them. _

_Anyone who values their life would avoid the fens. But it isn't just the fear of a slow death that keeps people away. There are stories; stories that whisper of a demon that lives in the very heart of the swamp, annihilating everyone and everything that it considers a threat to its dwelling. _

_No one ever comes out alive or sane enough to tell the tale._

_That is, of course, if you are that dim-witted enough to believe such things._

_Because everyone knows there's no such thing as monsters… right?_

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Lost in yesterday's dreams, a man sat in the shadow of one of the ancient trees. His name was Rei. Short and skeletally thin, his wispy white hair and beard clung to his head like beginnings of a winter snow. But his eyes were strangely youthful, chocolate-brown and set under sharp brows. From his skinny shoulders hung a cloak of mottled gray and green. 

He sat alone, gazing beyond the spidery limbs of the trees into the sparkling stars splattered across the blanketed night. The old man drew his cloak about his shoulders, stretching his legs forward into the moonlight. The beams bounced off the polished black sheath that held a dagger at his side.

He stared down at the backs of his hands, wrinkled and spotted with the drab brown specks of age. His face was every bit as wearied.

But once upon a time…

"Dreaming of glory, old man?" a voice asked.

Rei smiled and straitened himself to stand beside the tree. "You're late, Kaoru."

With his hood concealing his face, every part of his attire was the same as the older man's excluding two elements: underneath his speckled cloak, he wore the lightest of armor on his chest. On his back strung a powerful bow opposite a quiver of arrows. Beside him stood two horses, both being small, shaggy animals.

The slightly larger of the two trotted immediately to Rei's side. He patted its face and handed it an apple from the inside of his cloak pocket. The horse crunched it gratefully. Rei continued to pet the animal as if it were an old friend.

The one called Kaoru crossed his arms childishly. "And I am not late. You are simply early."

Rei's smile didn't fade as he moved toward the boy and placed his arm on the taller man's shoulders. "Well, I did tell you when you were a boy, didn't I? Never be too hasty."

They embraced each other warmly before Rei held the other man at arm's length, his face now serious.

"No problems, were there?" Rei had caught a glimpse of the fresh blood that stained the adolescent's gloved hands.

"None— the town was nearly destroyed, but everyone got out pretty easily before people started swarming around."

Rei looked at him carefully. "What about you?"

"I was chased through the woods, but my pursuers were to scared to go any further than that. And I think she fell asleep on the way through the woods."

Kaoru stepped to the side of his own pony, untangling one of the bundles from the saddle horn and placing it in his slender arms. He went back over to Rei, who bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby girl, fast asleep.

Rei took the bundle and carefully adjusted the blankets to examine the child. And there on her shoulder, visible like a tattoo, was a crescent moon with a smaller orb in the center. His sigh drifted with the breeze that ruffled the girl's tuft of dark hair.

"He did it then," said the elder, his voice soft and deep.

"You know he did."

"Yes. And so it begins: the destruction of all that we love."

"So Ichiro believes."

"Do you doubt him, Kaoru?"

He shook his head "I simply find it difficult to believe that the future is already set and decided. We have already proven that it is not as set in stone as we once thought."

Rei nodded. "You are right. The past, present, and future exist together, continuously interweaving. But… Ichiro-sama does not understand that—"

"And that surprises you?"

"Of course not," Rei chuckled. Then he seemed too remember something and his face turned grim with worry. "What of Hiroku-sama and Akiko-sama?"

Turning toward him slowly, Kaoru reluctantly took off his hood, finally revealing how young he truly looked. His handsome face was pale from the ugliness he had witnessed only a few hours ago. There were angry tears in his striking green eyes. Rei realized the boy was shaking. He reached to put an arm about him but he shrugged him away.

"I am perfectly fine, you bedamned trickster. I don't need comforting," he assured him.

'_Prideful_', Rei mused, '_just like his father.'_ And somehow he adored the child. For in addition to his arrogance, Kaoru had an unquenchable curiosity that kept him humble.

"So they've moved on?" Rei asked gently. He blinked when Kaoru shook his head.

"We only found his cloak but… we're pretty sure Hiroku-sama's dead."

"And Akiko?"

"She vanished right after we managed to get her out of the village. The guard that was with her had been knocked unconscious… there wasn't any sign of a struggle, but…"

"What else?" Rei urged him. The boy pulled something out from under his cloak. It was a single white sakura. But that would mean—

Rei sighed quietly, understanding what his ex-apprentice was saying. He granted the younger boy a strained smile.

"You did well, Kaoru."

The boy sighed gently before coughing again. "Anyway… so now what do I do?"

Rei shrugged and went back to leaning against the tree. "I'm not your sensei anymore, son; just your fellow ranger."

"That wasn't the answer I was looking for," Kaoru muttered, earning a chuckle from the older man.

"Well… I believe that the safest place for her would be with us, in our world."

"But..?"

"You know as well as I that Kazuki-sama would never allow it."

Rei didn't fail to notice Kaoru's face darken dramatically. In fact, his entire body went rigid at the mention of _that_ name.

"But… can't you—?"

Rei shook his head. "No matter how strong of an influence I can be against the council, no one will go against Kazuki-sama's word. You know this, Kaoru, so why do you question it?"

He failed to answer but his silence spoke volumes.

'_Kami, I hate that man.'_

"As do many of us," Rei said quietly. Kaoru shot him a curious look before scowling.

"If I want you to read my mind I'll tell you," he declared angrily.

"I didn't read your mind, boy. Your thoughts are written all over your face."

"Well don't _you_ hate him?"

Now it was Kei's turn to be silent. For a moment, Kaoru believed he had gone too far. He was about to apologize when Rei sighed sadly.

"Hate is a very powerful word; one that we must all use with caution."

Rei groaned and countered, "You still didn't answer the question."

"True. But it does not matter. Where do _you_ think the best environment for her would be?"

Kaoru bit his lip, thinking carefully. "A ninja village..?"

He nodded. "Which one?"

"…"

"Process of elimination, my boy. You know it."

He remained quiet, thinking carefully. So many of the hidden villages' laws were so different from their own it made it even more difficult to answer. This child needed to be protected at all costs, but she also needed to learn how to fight for herself. And there was one village that he had always trusted in a time of war… and with their own spawn.

"Ah, good choice. Let's go."

Kaoru stared at him. "How could you possibly know where I think we should go?"

"Because, even if you hadn't picked that village I would have taken her there anyway. They're the only village I really trust."

Kaoru shrugged his arms in a mocking gesture before hoisting himself upon his horse. "You see? This is why no one likes rangers anymore. We're too damn creepy."

The elder laughed heartily before turning to his horse as well. "Anymore? You little brat, no one _ever_ liked rangers."

Rei jumped up onto his horse's bare back, placing the still-sleeping baby in his lap. Even in the darkness, the two men rode easily through the swamp, one of them jumping off their horse ever so once in a while to make sure they were on course, the full moon being their only source of light.

By the time they reached the outer rim of the swamp, the child had finally begun to stir. As it was ex-pupil's turn to rest, Rei sat sat his a watch-point a few meters away, the baby cradled in his arms. Her hair was no longer damp, and her cheeks had retained a hint of color. He sat, transfixed by her deep sapphire orbs. She stared back, now wide-awake but calm, content.

The infant's tiny hand, no bigger than a large acorn, suddenly emerged from beneath the coverlet she had been wrapped in. Rei noticed her eyes had become deep with curiosity and he restrained from laughing as she caught hold of his beard and tugged at it with an awesome force.

"Well, hello there, little one. Would you happen to have a name?"

The child simply gurgled at him, sucking on her tiny thumb.

"Ah well… guess I'll ask Kaoru when he wakes up."

He glanced toward the young man. He was laid out next to his horse, his cloak being his only blanket. But he would impulsively wake up in a few minutes. Rei smiled to himself, remembering when Kaoru was just a kid. He had been an avid and clever pupil as a child, and Rei enjoyed nothing more than to teach young apprentices how to sharpen and use their skills.

A sudden breeze ruffled his tattered bangs and as he moved a hand to get them out of his eyes, he swore the girl smiled at him. He shook his head quickly before looking back at the kid. She was paying him no heed as she continued to suck her thumb quietly.

He glanced up into the sky. The sun would be rising in a couple of hours. The horses were stirring. If they made good timing…

They'd be in Konohagakure before sunrise.

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Wow, for some reason I really like this chapter. It's kinda weird though… when I first wrote it Rei and Kaoru joined each other in a woodsy area. But I decided to change and retype the whole thing at the last minute. Maybe because there are gonna be a lot of woodsy scenes… **

**Oh, by the way, Rei was Kaoru's ranger sensei when he was a kid, and Kaoru likes to tease him about his age (he's in his early sixties). So Rei likes to still treat him like a child (even though he's nearly 20). They obviously both have major ego issues… oh well.**

**I know it doesn't seem like much but I hope you all liked it a little bit. Please keep reading when I update and don't forget to review. Instructive criticism is good for the soul... and the story! **

**Thanks for Reading!**


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